West African Health Systems Stressed By Ebola Outbreak

Jul 16, 2014

News outlets report on challenges to stemming the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

New York Times: Death Toll From Ebola Surges in West Africa, Prompting Alarm
“New cases and deaths from the Ebola virus outbreak in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, already the worst ever recorded for the disease, have surged by double-digit percentages in the past week, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday, with no sign of a slowdown. Alarmed Ivory Coast border authorities blocked hundreds of Ivorian refugees in Liberia from returning, news agencies reported…” (Gladstone, 7/15).

Washington Post: Why West African governments are struggling in response to Ebola
“The worst-ever Ebola epidemic continues to unfold in West Africa, with no sign that it will be under control anytime soon. … Like other public health epidemics, local government response is often shaped by the actions of international actors and success is constrained by the public whose health they’re trying to secure…” (Dionne, 7/15).